1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to high performance telephones. More specifically, systems and methods for remotely diagnosing, trouble shooting, and/or programming an end user telephone by a customer service representative using a modem in communication with the user""s telephone during a live telephone call between the customer service representative and the user are disclosed.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional telephone typically provides an end user with a user manual and a customer service telephone number with which to assist the end user in learning, utilizing, diagnosing, trouble shooting and/or programming various features of the user""s telephone. With increasingly more complex and feature-rich high performance telephones, the end user is more likely to encounter difficulties and to require personalized, one-on-one assistance with more advanced features of the telephone such as by means of a telephone call to a customer service representative.
One example of a high performance telephone is an amplified telephone that amplifies audio signals to allow hearing impaired users to use the telephone without other hearing aides. Amplified telephones typically have selectable features such as tone and volume control that, if not selected correctly, may not properly amplify audio signals as needed. The hearing impaired user generally would call the customer service center to speak with a trained customer service representative in an attempt to address the problem. The trained customer service representative would then walk the user through a manual diagnostic and fault finding process. However, especially when the user is less familiar with electronic equipment, the diagnostic and fault finding customer assistance process can quickly become confusing, frustrating, and exasperating for both the user and the representative. If the user is unable to successfully address the problem, the user may simply give up and return the telephone. However, oftentimes there is no fault with the returned telephone. Rather, the problem is with the user being unable to properly operate the telephone and/or with the customer service representative being unable to successfully determine and address the problems encountered by the user. One common problem is the user neglecting to select a boost feature on the telephone such that the user perceives the telephone as broken. As such, the return would be a no fault found return that could have been prevented if the customer service representative had been able to successfully assist the customer in determining and addressing the problem through the manual diagnostic and fault finding process performed during the customer service telephone call.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a system and method for the customer service representative to better assist the user in a diagnostic, fault finding, and problem resolution process. Ideally, the customer service representative would be able to implement a fault finding process that is better suited at assisting the user and that can more easily and effectively address and correct the problem once it is identified.
Systems and methods for remotely diagnosing, trouble shooting, and/or programming an end user telephone by a customer service representative using a modem in communication with the user""s telephone during a live telephone call between the customer service representative and the user are disclosed. Although the system and method are generally described in terms of a diagnostic and trouble shooting process for a telephone, it is to be understood that the system and method may be adapted for application involving any product connected to a telephone line. It should be appreciated that the present invention can be implemented in numerous ways, including as a process, an apparatus, a system, a device, or a method. Several inventive embodiments of the present invention are described below.
The user telephone and modem system generally comprises a telephone having at least one remotely controllable feature and a user modem for receiving and transmitting voice and data signals. The user modem alternates between voice and data signal transmissions and communicates with a remote customer service modem. The user modem receives control data signals from the remote customer service modem for controlling or programming the controllable feature of the user telephone. The user telephone may be a DSP-enabled telephone with the user modem being embodied in the DSP. The remotely controllable features may be volume, frequency response, compression ratio, and/or knee point, the levels of which are also determinable by the customer service modem. The remotely controllable feature may also be a programmable memory, an LED light, self-diagnostic test, and/or user hearing test administration. The user telephone may provide a customer support call button, activation of which causes the telephone to automatically connect with the remote customer support modem and transmit telephone identification data to the remote customer support modem.
A customer service telephone and modem system generally comprises a customer service telephone and a customer service modem for receiving and transmitting voice and data signals, alternating between voice and data signal transmissions. The customer service modem is further configured for communication with a remote user modem to remotely control at least one remotely controllable feature of a user telephone via the user modem. The remotely controllable feature of the user telephone is remotely controllable by data signals transmitted from the customer service modem and received and processed by the user modem.